Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Inevitably perhaps, the Israelites get cocky after Jericho. Since they have conquered a fortified city without firing an arrow, the next target, the puny town of Ai, seems to pose no threat at all. A few thousand soldiers stroll toward Ai. A short time later those same soldiers- minus the dead and wounded- are scrambling for camp, thoroughly routed.
Clearly, the juxtaposition of these two stories, Jericho and Ai, is meant to convey a lesson. If the Israelites obey God and place their trust in him, no challenge is too great to overcome. On the other hand, if they insist on their own way, no obstacle is too small to trip them up.
This humiliating defeat, coming so quickly after the great victory at Jericho, demoralizes even Joshua. Realizing that without God's protection the Israelites are hopelessly vulnerable- trapped without possibility of escape- Joshua momentarily loses all courage. And yet, the trouble at Ai comes because of the deeds of a single man who greedily disobeys God's battle commands. His punishment is drastic.
After the painful lesson of Ai, Joshua relearns an important lesson in leadership. The public exposure of Achan's sin underscores the need to follow God's orders scrupulously, even in the earthly matter of warfare. God will not tolerate any of the lying or looting that is typical of invading armies
Life Question: Why would such a seemingly "little" sin, like Achan's deceit, have such major consequences? Do you think punishment stories like these help to bring the Christian church closer together?
Evidently the fledgling nation needed a strong lesson regarding the consequences of taking God's word lightly. That said, verse 20 clearly relates Achan's confession of his sin, and yet, the punishment is a swift and seemingly unmerciful death. In all honestly, I do struggle with stories like this one- similar to Ananias and Sapphira's death in Acts 5- where God gives no opportunity for reconciliation, but rather metes out a swift and severe punishment of death. It seems to contradict Christ's message of reaching out to the downtrodden, sinful men and women of the earth.
1 comment:
It seems that God is more likely to make an example of judgement when He is doing a new work in the midst of His people. For example : Adam & Eve were evicted from Paradise for one wrong choice; Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised land for one wrong choice ; AAron's sons were struck down for their wrong choice. I guess we are so accustomed to God's grace and forgiveness, we are slow to remember that He has the right to bring judgement as an example of His Holy Power. Read Hebrews 12 : "for our God is a consuming fire". These examples remind us: "to be thankful and worship with reverence and awe" .
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